Gas-indicating device



Dec. 16, 1924'. 1,519,549

W. NELLISSEN GAS INDIGATING DEVICE Filed Deg. 29, 1923 I 7 Fig.1.

- andresidingat Bielefeld, Germany, have in- I vented certaln newand useful Improvements t atented Dec. 16, 1924.

i FEED .FST

WILLY NELLISSENQ OF BIELEFELID; (FERIVIANY.

' Application'filed 'December 29, 1923m'Seria1 lia-683,528.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 113--k11OW11 that -I," WILLY-NnLnissEN, engineer, a citizenof the-German Republic,

in -Gas-1ndicating Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

1 This invention relates-to gas indicating devices. Devices of thiskind are used to'in- 1ov -as fire-damp in'mines. :Arrangements have *already been proposed for measuring the dicate the occurrence of explosive gases such admixture "ot gases'with air by means of a ditt'usioncell. Diffusion cells are 'partic ul'arly suitable for mines because tempera *tures which exceed that of the surrounding -=Space do not occur in the cells and because, -for this reasonpthey are absolutely proof {against fire' damp. In 'spiteof this the use of the diffusion cells in-inines "for indicating fire' damp is practically unknown. This is" to be accounted for by tlie-itact-that after each-measurement a diffusion cell has to be moved to a place where there is treslrair for the purposeof removing the gases from the cell whichhave penetrated into 1t. Theobject-of the'present invention is to provide a i measuring arrangement "providech with a diffusion cellthat enables repeatedin'easure- :ments to be 'arried out at the place where the measuring arrangement -is used. Re peated measuring without removaloithe device from its-place otuse-isrendered-pos sible j-by the-present invention because a chamber containing rinsing air is provided which contains sufficient fresh air tor sev- 'era'l 'rinsing operations. 1 To restore the-diffusion cell after use to a condition which renders it suitable for carrying out anew measurement it is only necessary to conduct *into the cell aportion of the fresh airstored in the rinsing air chamber.

' Theinve'ntion is shownby way ofexa nple in-the drawing in which i Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionof anapparatus taken on the hne AB of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal sectiontaken on the line CD of Fig. 1 and 1 1+ igs. 36 are horizontal sections-on the line C-D of Fig. 1 ot a controlling valve.

' I Referring to the drawing 1 is an air tight container which is adapted tobe filled with compressed air through a valve 2. Arranged above the container 1 is a chamber 3 which contains the diffusion cell i. The top wall 5 of the chamber 3 has an upwardly extending cylindrical -neck. Ground into this neck is a. valveor cock 6 which can be adjusted by means of a handle 7. The diffusion cell 1 is open at the top so that the pas sages or channels 8, 9 and 10 0f the valve (t are in permanent communication with the interior of the cell. The channels 8 9 and 10 extend in a vertical direction to arortain level where they turn at right'angles so as to have a short horizontal continuation at the top. At thelevel 'ofthe-horizontal sections of thechannels 8, 9 and 10 holes or passages 11', liland 13 are provided in theneck of the top Wall 5 01 the chamber 3. The passage 11 is connected through a pipe 1 1 with a limb 1501i a U-shaped liquid-pressure meter 16. T he passage 12 is connected through a pipe 17 with the. rinsing aircontainer 1 and-the passage 13 is connected through a pipe 18 with the chamber 3 that contains the diffusion cell. Leading into the chamber 3 is also a pipe 19 to'which a hose, that maylead to ages injector of the ball type, may. be connected. The pipe 18 fits loosely in the hoie in the chamber through which it is inserted so that no diii'erences of pressure between the air in the chamber and the externalair can arise.

The operation' of the device is as follows: lVhen a nieasureinentis to be carried out the valve 6 is turned into the position indicated 111 Fig. 3. Inthis positionthe interior of the diffusion cell is connected through the valve channel 9, passage 11 and the pipe 14. with the pressure meter 15, 16. It air from the surrounding space is now injected through the pipe 19 by-means of a ball injector (notshown) into the chamber 8 the gas admixtures in the air which are specifically lighter than the air will, on account oftheir more rapid diffusion, give rise to an increase of pressure in the interiorof the diffusion cell l-and thus cause the liquid column in the pressure meter 16 to rise. It, on the other handthe admixtures of gas in the air are heavier than the latter, the air in the cell will difiuse faster than the heavy gases, so that a decrease of pressure will be indicated by the pressure meter. After the measuring operation the diiiusion cell will be partly filled with the gas admixtures in the air. To remove these and to render the cell suitable for a new measurement the valve 6 is turned into the position indicated in Fig. 6. In this position of the valve the interior of the diffusion cell is connected through the channel 10, passage 12 and the pipe 17 with the rinsing air chamber 1.

Through the channel 9, passage 13 and the pipe 18 the interior of the diffusion cell is connected with the chamber in which the cell is located. Hence a current of rinsing air flows from the rinsing air chamber 1 into the interior of the diffusion cell and thence into the chamber 3 surrounding the cell. From the chamber 3 it escapes through the opening between the loosely fitting pipe 18 and the edges of the hole through which the pipe 18 enters the chamber 3. After suflicient rinsing air has blown through the diffusion chamber the valve 6 is turned into the position indicated in Fig. 4. The pressure meter 16 will then be connected through the pipes and 14, passage 11 and the channel 8 with the interior of the diffusion cell and this latter will be connected through the channel 10, passage 13 and the pipe 18 with the chamber 3, i. e. it will also be connected with the exterior air. An equalization of the pressures in the pressure meter and the interior of the diffusion cell and of the exterior air can thus take place. The device will now be ready for the next measuring operation and, when the next measuring operation is to be commenced, the valve may be again turned into the position shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 5 a position of the valve is shown into which it is preferably turned when the device is to be carried about or removed. In this position of the valve the one limb 15 of the U-shaped liquid pressure meter is closed against the exterior air, so that the contents of the pressure meter cannot run out, even if the device is laid down.

The field of application of the novel arrangement is not limited to the measuring of fire damp in mines but it may also be used for measuring choke damp. The arrangement may also be put to other uses such as testing the content of hydrogen in the air in accumulator rooms. In factories in which injurious gases are developed the collection of the latter may be prevented with the aid of the aforedescribed apparatus. 1

I claim 1. In a device for indicating gases, a diffusion cell, a pressure meter, a conduit conitiepae necting the diffusion cell and the pressure meter, a rinsing air chamber, and a closable conduit leading from the rinsing air chamher to the diffusion cell.

2. In a device for indicating gases, a difiusion cell, a pressure meter,'a conduit connecting the, diffusion cell and the pressure meter, a rinsing air chamber, a closable conduit leading from the rising air chamber to the difiusion cell, a chamber enclosing the diffusion cell, and a closable conduit between the diffusion cell and the chamber enclosing the same.

3. In a device for indicating gases, a diffusion cell, a pressure meter, a conduit leading from the diffusion cell to the pressure meter, a rinsing air chamber, a closable conduit lea'ding from the rinsing air chamber to the difi'usion cell, a chamber enclosing said cell, a closable conduit leading from the diffusion cell to the chamber enclosing the latter, a multi-way valve for connecting the conduits between the diliusion cell and the rinsing air chamber and between the .difiusion cell and the chamber enclosing the latter, the said valve being adapted when turned into a certain position, to simul taneously open the said. conduits.

4. In a device for indicating gases, a diffusion cell, a pressure meter, a conduit leading from the diffusion cell to the pressure meter, a rinsing air chamber, a closable conduit leading from the rinsing air chamber to the diffusion cell, a chamber enclosing the difiusion cell, a closable conduit between the difiusion cell at the chamber enclosing the latter, a multi-way valve connecting the conduit between the dilfusion cell and the rinsing air chamber and the conduit between the pressure meter and the chamber enclosing the diffusion-cell, the said valve being adapted, whenin' a certain position, to simultaneously open the conduits between the diffusion cell and the rinsing air chamher and between the difiusion cell and the chamber enclosing the latter, and when in a second position to open the conduit be tween the difiusion cell and the pressure meize'r and the chamber enclosing the said cel 5. In a device for indicating gases, a diffusion cell, a pressure meter, a conduit between the diffusion cell and the pressure meter, a rinsing air chamber, a closable conduit between the rinsing air chamber and the diffusion cell, a chamber 'enclosing'the diffusion cell, a closable conduit between the diffusion cell and the chamber enclosing the latter, a multi-way valve interposed in the conduit between the diffusion cell and the rinsing air chamber and in the conduit between the pressure meter and the chamber enclosing the diffusion cell, the said valve being adapted, when in one of its positions, to simultaneously open the conduit between the diffusion cell and the rinsing air chamber and between the diffusion cell and the chamber enclosing the same and, in a second position, to simultaneously open the conduit between the diffusion cell and the pressure meter and the chamber surrounding the cell, and in a third position,

to close the conduit between the pressure meter and the diffusion cell.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lVILLY NELLISSEN. lVitnesses E. KAsPAoEH, M. V. HUNCH. 

